The present invention relates to the provision of precast curable thermal interface adhesives facilitating the easy and repeatable separation and remating of electronic components at thermal interfaces thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel method for implementing the foregoing repeatable separation and remating at the thermal interfaces of components through the use of such adhesives.
Microelectronic chip packages that are complex in nature are expensive to produce, and are made to be readily taken apart to enable the repair, replacement, upgrading or swapping of the components thereof. These packages generally incorporate elaborate cooling hardware components that may possess more than one thermal interface, whereby an essential attribute of these thermal interfaces resides in affording an easy separation between the components.
Basically, employed for this purpose are thermal interface materials (TIMs) that are inherently imbued with a low degree of adhesion, such as diverse kinds of greases, gels, pads or films. While these TIM materials enable implementing separation at thermal interfaces, they also are subject to several drawbacks, in that these materials, for the main, are designed for single or one time use, and therefore require removal of any old or residual material, cleaning of the applicable surfaces on the components and the application of new joining or TIM materials.
In essence, the cleaning of the thermal interface sites of separated components follows a prescribed procedure, and typically involves the use of a clean cloth and solvent. Normally, the utilized cleaning method is implemented manually and, thus, controlled to a lesser degree than the manufacturing process employed for initially applying the TIM to the components. Another limitation resides in that pads and any film being applied allow for air to be entrapped at both interface surfaces at the sites because of their flat profiles, potentially resulting in increased thermal resistance.
In view of the foregoing, it would accordingly be advantageous to be able to provide a TIM which minimizes any thermal resistance, and facilitates an easy separation and repeatable remating of components without degrading the material or the thermal performance at the interface site or sites. The use of curable TIMs is ordinarily considered undesirable because of the need for an undue expenditure of time and for the necessity of controlling a precise curing temperature. Furthermore, both solvents and curable adhesives are constituted of possibly toxic or volatile chemicals that require the following and enforcement of proper or stringent safety protocols.